Easy Fall Cheese Board
The following recipe and photography were provided by recipe developer and food photographer, Ashley Durand of Plate & Pen.
There’s never a bad time for a cheese board, but something about the fall season gives me extra inspiration to create the most beautiful grazing boards.
Maybe it’s because the colors of the artisan cheeses and crackers at Heinen’s mimic the warm autumn hues so naturally, or maybe it’s because mouthwatering specialty cheeses pair so well with a cozy glass of red wine on a cool fall evening.
In this recipe, I’ll share exactly how I channeled the season’s best flavors and colors into an easy and impressive Fall Cheese Board.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You Can Channel to Season Through Cheese. The focal point of this board is a pumpkin-shaped cheese ball. It’s so easy to make – all you need is saran wrap, butcher’s twine and Heinen’s Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Spreadable Cheese Ball with Almonds & Pecans from the Specialty Cheese Department. If you can’t find that particular cheese ball, any spreadable cheese ball will do.
- It is Perfect For All Occasions. Whether you’re attending a fall gathering, catching up on your favorite reality show with friends, or simply looking for an elegant way to celebrate the end of the week, this Fall Cheese Board will satisfy the eye and taste buds!
- It is Customizable. Grazing boards like this are meant to be an expression of creativity, so I encourage you to arrange the ingredients any way you like! If you’re looking for inspiration, I added pointers below.
Easy Fall Cheese Board
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients
Crackers, Nuts and Spreads
- Heinen's rosemary & thyme crisp crackers
- Heinen's cranberry orange hazelnut fruit crisps
- Heinen's water crackers
- Heinen's fig spread
- Heinen's praline pecans
- Heinen's rosemary Marcona almonds
- Heinen's walnuts
- Heinen's pepitas
Fruit and Caramel
- Caramel dipping sauce
- Apples, sliced
- Strawberries, sliced
- Kiwi, sliced
- Pineapple, cubed
- Grapes
Vegetables and Olives
- Baby carrots
- Cucumbers, sliced
- Heinen's feta-stuffed olives
Specialty Cheeses
- Heinen's French brie, cubed
- Heinen's extra sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
- Heinen's extra sharp white cheddar cheese, cubed
- Heinen's Wisconsin spreadable sharp cheddar cheese ball with almonds and pecans or a spreadable cheese ball of your choice
- Cranberry chipotle cheddar cheese
- Apricot Ginger goat cheese
- Melkbus truffle cheese
Instructions
To Form the “Pumpkin Cheese Ball”
- Remove the cheese ball from the packaging and wrap it in saran wrap.
- Take a considerable length of butcher’s twine and wrap it around the cheese like you are tying a ribbon on a present. Fold both ends of the twine over the bottom of the cheese ball, make a loop and pull upwards back to the top. Fold it again to where it looks like ridges on a pumpkin. It’s important to pull very tight on each flip once you tie off the knot at the top, then press the twine in to the cheese even more to ensure that deep ridges form.
- Once the twine is secured, place the cheese ball in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Once set, cut the twine carefully.
- Use the backside of a butter knife to bluntly press in where the twine was to make sure the ridges stay. Cut a short piece of cucumber, with the skin on, and push it into the top of the cheese ball to act as a pumpkin stem
To Assemble the Board
- Space the dips that are in bowls and spreadable cheeses on the board first, then add their dipper partners to fill the gaps. Start by placing the fig spread, caramel sauce, apricot ginger goat cheese, feta-stuffed olives and “pumpkin cheese ball” on the board.
- Place the fruit slices near the caramel sauce.
- Place the crackers and nuts around the edges of the board.
- To one corner of the board, add fresh veggies.
- Finish by adding the harder cheeses to the middle near the “pumpkin cheese ball.”
Note: The above assembly instructions are simply suggestions. Feel free to arrange the board any way you like.
